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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. cue — for pool
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. present — a gift
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. rest — a break
  7. present — there
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. clip — for paper
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. toast — bread
  12. net — after costs
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — what's left
  15. chair — a leader
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. wake — a trail
  18. cue — a hint
  19. cue — a signal
  20. net — in sport
  21. present — the time now
  22. clip — to cut
  23. net — for catching
  24. chair — a professorship

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com